Rabbi at Pittsburgh synagogue targeted by anti-Semitic shooter called for gun control ahead of violent attack

Police respond to an active shooter situation at the Tree of Life synagogue on Wildins Avenue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa., on Saturday, October 27, 2018. (Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette via AP) (Pam Panchak / AP)

The rabbi at a Pittsburgh synagogue targeted by an anti-Semitic gunman Saturday warned violent shootings would become the norm should demands for gun control go unanswered.

Eleven people were killed and more injured when Robert Bowers, 46, allegedly opened fire in the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue around 10 a.m. Bowers exchanged gun fire with responding officers before he surrendered and was taken into custody, police said.

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In July, the temple’s Rabbi, Hazzan Jeffrey Myers penned an essay titled “We Deserve Better” in which he touched on the rapid pace of the news cycle and how it affects public issues.

“Despite continuous calls for sensible gun control and mental health care, our elected leaders in Washington knew that it could fade away at any time. Unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the mid-term elections, I fear that the status quo will remain unchanged and school shootings will resume,” he wrote.

“I shouldn’t have to include in my daily morning prayers that God should watch over my wife and daughter, both teachers, and keep them safe. Where are our leaders?”

According to the synagogue’s website, Myers typically leads Saturday services at the house of worship. The weekly service, scheduled to start at 9:45 a.m. on the main floor, was already underway when the shooter burst in — allegedly shouting anti-Semitic slurs — and opened fire.

Shabbat or the Jewish sabbath marks the end of the week and culminates in a day of rest for congregants. It begins at sunset Friday and concludes Saturday night. Services include readings from the Torah and the Haftarah, though the selected passages and customs can vary from congregation to congregation.

The Tree of Life Synagogue, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, was founded more than 150 years ago.

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“As a conservative Jewish congregation, Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha remains true to traditional teaching yet is also progressive and relevant to he way we live today,” according to its website.